Commode



(No Model.) A

, zsheets-sheet 1. P. BARD0N.

GOMMODE.

Patented Nov. 9, 1886,

In van/0M W72 ess es:

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicEo PROSPER BARDON, OF WAGO, TEXAS.

COMMODE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent. No. 352,388, datedNovember 9, 1886.

Application filed August 20, 1885, Serial No. 174,897. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, P RosrER BARDON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Waco, in the county of McLennan and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Commodes; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

.My invention consists, first, in a commode the body of thereceiving-vessel of which is formed of staves and hoops, the latter ofwhich operate automatically to keep the joints between the staves alwayswater and gastight; second, in certain novel features of const-ructionand combinations of parts, as hereinafter described andspecilicallyclaimed.

The objects of my invention are to enhance the utility of thereceiving-vessel as a tight receptacle for the fecal and other mattersdeposited into it; utilize the receivingvessel itself as a directsupport for the seat; provide for a ready separation of the seat fromthe vessel and the draft-flue, and furnish a commode which ispractically gas-proof against the escape of effluvia into the room orother place; will conduct away all unpleasant and unhealthful odors, andbe convenient of management, as will be hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of thecommode having its hinged top piece turned up from the seat,illustratingthe commode as ready for use. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through oneof the hoops and the commode receiving-vessel, showing theautomatically-tightening device which is applied to each hoopas itappears before the hoops are driven home, or tight upon the staves ofwhich the vessel is formed. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of `a thinmetal plate of the tightening device, which is used for protecting andkeeping theelastic material of the automatic tightening devices inproper position with respect to the hoops until they are driven home ortight upon the stares of the vessel. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of thesaid metal protection-plate as it appears when bent and provided withthe said elastic material. In this view the hoop is left out of itsposition in order to expose the elastic tightening material. Fig. 5 isasectional detail view of the :is formed with a beveled or conical edgesurface faced with a rubber band, a', or other suitable packingmaterial, whereby the fit between the flared edge of the head-piece aand thedisk-cover c is made air and gas tight. The barrel staves beingof wood and liable to shrink, the barrel A would soon become leaky ifthe hoops B were not made to automatically' tighten the staves and keepthe joints closed. To accomplish this, strips of elastic material b-suchas vulcanized india-rubber-are apl plied between the hoops and the outersurface of the barrel, and in order to keep the said elastic material bin proper relation to the hoops and prevent it from doubling and rollingaway from between the hoops and the vessel during the operation ofdriving the hoops upon the vessel, plates b of thin sheet metal (seeFig. 3) are provided and the pieces of elastic material b laid uponthem, and the plates and elastic material confined upon the hoops bybending the edges of the plates, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.

The pieces of elastic material b, when con-l ned as described, occupyplaces on the inner periphery of the hoops, and are kept from contactwith the surface of the barrel by the metal plates, whileby the bentedges of the plates they are kept from separating from the hoops, andalso preventedfrom becoming hunched77 while the hoops are being drivenhome.

The hoops are applied around the barrel A and driven home in the usualway,.and after this is done the edges of the plates b are bent downstraight or to their normal position, as illustrated in Fig. 3, and areeasily removed for reuse in applying elastic tightening material b toanother commode-vessel.

A commodeseat, C, is placed upon the barrel A, and in order to preventleakage at the joint between the barrel and the seat the lower IOOportion of the seat is provided with an annular packing iiange or rim,c, which its Very snugly into the chine of the barrel,.while the seatrests down upon the chine of the barrel. A suitable opening, c, isprovided in the seat C, which may be closed by a cover, c2, turning uponhinges c3. Behind the opening c' another smaller opening, ct, isprovided in the seat C, through which the gases escape. This opening c*is closed by a short horizontal iiue, c5, constructed above the openingc on the rear portion of the seat C, and this ilue 051s .very snuglyfitted into the lower portion of a long and large vertical draft-tine,D, so that while a close joint-fitting is secured, the seat, with itsshort iue c5, can be easily united to or separated from hthe larger longdue D.

In order to accomplish the objectjust stated,

the flue D is providedwith/a bottom portion, el, which bears tightagainst the bottom piece of the rear end of the tlue c5, which rear endenters the lower portion of the iiue D and is snugly surrounded by thewalls of the same, as shown. An opening, c, in the top portion oftheilue c5 serves as a means for communication between the ilues D andc5 and the barrel A after the disk-cover has been removed. During theuse ot" the commode the flue D 1s permanently fixed in position andconnected with a cl1imney-tlue of a building, or with some other meansfor conducting the gases out of range of the atmosphere being breathed.The gases forming in the barrel rise speedily, by reason of theirbuoyancy, to the top, and find their way through the dues ci and D intothe chimney or pass into the air above the house, instead of enteringthrough the joints of the commode into the room.

Vhen the barrel requires to be emptied, it is first disconnected fromthe flue D, then the seat C from the barrel, and closed gas-tight by thedisk-cover a, and then carried bodily through the house without leavingany unpleasant odors about the premises.

This commode is a very useful substitute fol` the ordinary water-closetin general; but it is especially useful where theconstruction and use ofsewers are impracticable -from natural impediments-such as areexperienced with' swampy lands. l

I do not claim under this patent the method of drawing the gases fromthe commode and inside of the room in which it is situated by a relativeproportioning of the parts of the apparatus shown and described, so asto in sure an upward suction of all the foul gases from the receptacleand about the hole in the seat, as I have an application for a patentdated May 4, 1886, therefor, now on le in United States Patent Oiiice.

1. In a commode, a receivingbarrel,A, having hoops B and elastictightening strips b, substantially as and for the purpose described.

PROSPER BARDON.

Witnesses:

CHAs. Kornir, R. WV. PARK.

